Ink Of Honor
by Ink of Honor
Summary: On December 21; the world lost all power and sank into an eternal night. The temperature dropped to the negatives and it wasn't long before the human race was completely wiped out. The only group that remained was the new era evolution. Homo Luminous; The Generation that Would Eradicate Mankind's Mistake.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Naruto. All credit goes to the author and illustrator Masashi Kishimoto, nor do I forge any of his work for monetary value. _

_-. _-. _-._-._-._Ink Of Honor-._ _-._-._-._-._-._

_"In order to eradicate mankind's mistake; we must _

_purify ourselves in a way that which we do not make the same ones"_

_ -The Lone Code'_

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Chapter 1

_We started out as a word. A simple one really. One that was easy to say, and easy to write. The scientists that wrote it, used it on us and infused the meaning into our DNA. _

_We were created with only one purpose, and that was to continue to live on. Our job was to continue living in a world without them in it._

_On December 20'Th, 2012 the planet's alignment brought forth more than just a brief eclipse of the sun. After the dark mass moved away, and the earth regained it's light; the days got colder. _

_No matter how much the sun would be out, there would never be any difference. The weather soon turned unpredictable, and the storm chasers could no longer follow what went on with the world. They lost their jobs, and nobody could ever replace them._

_The Newscast that broadcasted every morning with epic tales of heroism, and stories of murders eventually ended too. Those people decided to stay home, bundled up close to whatever they found warm, and retired from their life of excitement. There was nothing to report on. There were no more stories._

_When the stories ended, so did communication. Television was no longer interesting. Unless you liked re-runs of the same shows over and over again. The phone lines ruptured, and the technicians didn't have the heart to go out in the freezing temperature to fix them. People just stopped talking to each other. _

_The only men and women who actually stuck together were the ones that I had the pleasure to be acquainted with during my early stages of life. These people were the ones who stuck needles in me and repeatedly injected me with numerous substances. _

_And I wasn't the only one they did it to. There were once thousands of us. One by one, we would line the walls of the room, each to their own containment unit, but still together. We were all one big happy family then. We liked each other. We smiled whenever one of us would say something funny. _

_We were all apart of a heart. Beating, and moving simultaneously to match the calm flow of a river._

_Like everything that was happening with the world at that time, we were breaking as well. Every time someone else would die, we would die as well. We got old. Not in the literal sense, but in our minds._

_Independence became of us and we no longer laughed. We instead stared, and on those rare moments some random boy or girl would smile. But nobody else would join._

_We once started as a Nation, thinking alike and feeling the same, until everything changed. I don't know what day it was exactly, but it was some time after the 21'st. As the days grew colder, our hearts did as well. We ended as a broken whole; a shattered memory that had been left un-thought. _

_Some of us couldn't take the experiments and were left to combust and rot by the side of the freezing road. Others were stronger. They were gifted with robotic abilities like a metal arm to replace the one they had lost, or an eye that could see through Ultra-violet rays. Whatever the gift was, they could either be grateful or melancholic. You couldn't really ask for what you wanted. You just got whatever they wanted to give you._

_I was one of the strong ones, but I picked a bad time to be good. _

_My gift was a demon. They had put inside me, a blood like substance that clung to my veins, and flowed through my body. It took the form of a fox, and came out instead of blood, whenever I would get injured. It was the greatest gift anybody could ever ask for. But it was the most horrifying as well. I was feared once the others knew of my new gift, and I was hated for it._

_I knew I could never live the same again, but I was just an experiment. I knew I would die soon. Be left to decay like how they left the others. But I didn't. Which confused me._

_I lived through to the end, and I stayed._

**Ink: SOoooooooOOOooOooo.. How was that? Weird, I know _ . But hey! Has potential right? New Chapters will come out every Friday and/or Saturday. This is only the first chapter, the reason why it's so short, but I promise a WAY greater length in the second and later installments ^^. I would love reviews and critics, I know I'm not the best writer~ T.T It only takes a minute to write 3 Please do it because I'm awesome and you love me 3 /trownofacliff. I love one worded ones as well! But more worded ones are worshiped 3 …if that..even…makes sense.. |D .Okay. Welps. I'm rambling again. This is what happens when I'm annoying . . which is all the time T.T . shiz. I'm doing it again. 8U .**


	2. Journey to the IMB part1

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Naruto. All credit goes to the author and illustrator Masashi Kishimoto, nor do I forge any of his work for monetary value. _

_-. _-. _-._-._-._Ink Of Honor-._ _-._-._-._-._-._

_Our job was to continue living in a world without them in it._

_-._-. _-._-._-. _-._-._-._-._-._

Chapter 1

_ This world they had created had become tampered with; filled with a hatred that eventually consumed us._

_Why did it have to be the way it was? _

_I hated it._

_This alien earth that centered on us was built on layers and layers of fabricated nostalgia; the deadly cold nights that eventually grew warmer, became frigid again; the hard words, which turned compassionate, became silent._

_I love this. These words that meant nothing, meant everything._

Up at the very top of the building, I stood there; overlooking what was left of the world. The winter wind whipped at my scarred face; caressed the three whiskers that adorned each cheek.

_Here in the place that never shines._

The sun's yellow rays shone down on my face, but the warmth never reached. My eyes stared out into the dark, desolate, village.

My fingers drummed on the rusty railing in a rhythmic pattern as anxiety flowed through my bloodstream.

_In a way, it's nice here, y'know._

I stopped to say something to myself but was caught short.

"Naruto" came a voice from behind me.

I turned my head.

"We did what we could, but the girl couldn't be saved" was what the red-eyed woman announced. Her black hair swayed in the breeze and she looked down, avoiding my gaze.

I guess I could wait.

"…Sakura-Chan" I whispered.

"I'm sorry…Naruto," the woman then said softly. She walked up to place a cold hand on my shoulder.

"You may visit her if you like." At this, Kurenai left me alone, but I continued to stare at her retreating form.

"I let this happen to her. This is all my fault. " I muttered.

That anxiety turned to rage, and then the rage dulled down quickly.

I sank to my knees and put my face in my hands.

'_You may visit her if you like'_

I got up slowly after a minute and made my way to the door Kurenai left in.

'_Naruto'._

Tears threatened to fall, but I knew I was better than to cave into my emotions. I placed a hand on the frozen doorknob and turned.

The cogwheels in my left hand continued to turn.

My skin vibrated slightly.

'_You have to move on.'_

My feet carried me down the stairs and through the white halls of Konahagakure hospital. Sakura's room was 280, but the door I went through was the one that said 'Exit'

'_You did the right thing.'_

"…I hope so" I made the notion of going in the opposite direction from the large building, but stopped abruptly when I heard someone calling out to me.

"-Hey Naruto!"

I saw Kiba, and I grimaced slightly.

Kiba walked up to me, grinning, and clapped me on the back. His dark brown hair stuck up in the front and to the sides. A small white puppy nipped at his feet.

"How was the news about Sakura?" He took on a more serious tone and looked me in the eyes.

'_Who's Sakura?'_

"Kurenai couldn't help her. It's done. She's gone." My voice was sad, but my heart was hard.

"T-That's...too bad. Naruto, I'm sorry."

'_He shows sympathy. But how can he truly be sorry when he has never lost anything?'_

"It's okay," I muttered, my eyes darkening as he took a step back. I had mixed emotions about Kiba; he wasn't exactly bright.

"I'll talk to you in a little bit, Coach Doc needs me at the lab. We're still working on that serum."

"Oh, right." I replied with an oblivious happy tone. It was rather sickening to pretend to be so upbeat.

I knew Kiba was one of the sons of the Inuzuka clan, the prestigious medical family that ran the entire hospital organization. He was a big animal lover as well; it sort of ran in the family.

I felt like I had to be happy for him to be happy.

As a background for Kiba, I would say that him and his family are the ones in charge of all the animal hospitals in town, relatively speaking: in charge of the only vet in town. Since it was the only one, it was pretty big. The base the vet clinic was on, was a large piece of land, the land they live on.

Normally, I wouldn't have gone there- it smells putrid- but today was special. I didn't have anywhere important to go, but in a way, me going to the I.M.B, (short for the Inuzuka's Medical Base) would save me the trouble of going in the near future.

Even though I didn't exactly prefer Kiba's company, I was highly interested in the field his family worked in. This 'serum' that he spoke of was actually his clan's latest project.

They've been trying to fuse animal DNA into the bloodstream without surgery. Of all things they could research, I would say they chose rather poorly; but if society accepts it, it's my job to deal with it.

"-Hey Kiba. You think I can come to the base with you? I'm bored...nothing to do" I said sheepishly, scratching the back of my head with a hand.

"-Huh? Oh sure, but uh- mom's in a rather shitty mood. I'd watch out for her." He warned me as he started walking in the direction I was already going to go from the beginning.

"Well, it's a good thing she likes me then" I smiled.

His mom was one of the high scientists of the base. My nickname for her was the 'Boss Lady' and Kiba's nickname for her was just 'mom'. Not that I don't think that's a fitting name for a son to call his mother.

"-I wouldn't be too sure of that" Kiba grouched as he placed his hands in his pocket. "She's not a force to be reckoned with…she's the wrecking ball," he muttered.

I laughed lightly, my voice scattering within the howling of the wind.

'_Now, what are you planning on doing Uzumaki?'_

I smiled and continued to walk at Kiba's side.

"I have my reasons," I whispered slightly.

The brunette turned his head slightly in my direction. "What was that buddy?" He chirped up in his usually rough voice.

I lowered my head and smiled at him.

"Nothing- just talking to myself. That's what happens when I get hungry…I'll go out for ramen later" I thought up a quick story to tell, my tone never changing.

He looked at me, raised an eyebrow, but then looked back to the front.

"Uh-whatever man. Hey, maybe we can go out for ramen together, I'm getting a lil' hungry too." He offered in a chatty aura.

I continued to smile, and I continued to walk.

"Yeah."

_-._-. _-._-._-.

**A/N: …That wasn't too long, I'm sorry T.T It's just I was going through a writer's block, that and going through the pressures of highschool _ My life's just too hard. OTL /le ****sobs****.. You know what would cheer me up? Reviews! I love them words, they be so delicious and stuff o u o. I got two on the day I made the story, and you don't know how happy that made me! More excited actually…now that I think about it….SO make me more happy! I command you! RAWR 8U**

**Unitl next time~**

**Ink.**


	3. Journey to the IMB part 2

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Naruto. All credit goes to the author and illustrator Masashi Kishimoto, nor do I forge any of his work for monetary value. _

_-. _-. _-._-._-._Ink Of Honor-._ _-._-._-._-._-._

_Journey to the Inuzuka Medical Base._

_-._-. _-._-._-. _-._-._-._-._-._

Chapter 1

The I.M.B isn't that far from anything because it's situated in the middle of the entire village.

Standing at four stories tall, the eggshell colored building expands at a little more than an acre. This place, including the official Konahagakure Hospital, belongs to the Inuzuka clan, so you can already tell they have a decent amount of money.

When we got to the wrought iron gate that bordered around the massive building, I could tell in an instant that my plan wasn't going to go smoothly. I could already feel a scowl form on my lips as I watched Kiba take out his white scan card.

"So are you going to keep seeing Sakura?" he then asked as he slid the tiny rectangle into the metal scanner.

I was taken aback by this question because I had nearly forgotten about Sakura-Chan.

"...There's no point really. I mean she's so out of it. She wouldn't even recognize me."

"Why let that stop you?". The red button on the device turned green and Kiba heaved the heavy looking door open. He held it out so I could walk past him, then he let is fall shut again.

"I don't know. Kurenai already said she was gone, so I just take that as an idea to leave her alone. Maybe she'll get better by doing that."

Kiba grunted and placed his hands in the pockets of his fluffy grey jacket. "Nobody likes being alone. You should understand how Sakura would feel if nobody came to visit her and to keep her company."

"She has the Hokage, Baa-chan said she would look for a cure with or without Kurenai-Sensei's help."

"Tch. That' not the same. Lady Stunade's her mentor, so of course she has a responsibility for taking care of her student; but you're her best friend. If anyone can break through to somebody, it's you."

"Kiba, don't you get it? She's lost in her own little world by now, even if I tried to reason with her-to try and talk to her- she wouldn't listen. If Kurenai can't do anything, what makes me so special?". I sighed heavily and soon found Kiba and I walking into the surprisingly warm building.

The brunette walking by my side and said nothing, which gave me a bit of peace and quiet.

The hospital was noisy as usual with the sounds of howling dogs, and groaning people. We traveled past a man on a stretcher, his eyes wide open and dilated, and I stared at his unnatural blue skin. I couldn't tell whether he was an experiment that went wrong, or one of the many victims of Hypothermia.

A woman wheeled him away, causing me to break my gaze and look to the front again.

Kiba and I took the elevators to the fourth floor and all the way up we shared a comfortable silence, but unlike me, Kiba couldn't keep quiet for too long.

"I haven't seen mom anywhere so I think she's out on a rescue mission". The silence was broken by the brunette who took out his white card again.

"That guy back there-". I interrupted as he swiped the card into the slot by the heavily bolted door.

"What happened to him? He doesn't look like he's from Konaha."

Kiba perked up and pushed the handle to let us in. "He's not. He's actually from the Sound village; his name's Kisame."

Leave it to Kiba to know exactly who I was talking about.

"Well, why was he so blue? He looked more like a fish than a human"

He shrugged. "Don't know, yesterday's the first time I saw him. Mom says he got hurt trying to report to the Hokage about something."

"Got hurt? Like he was attacked?". I knew it was a stupid question, but the thought of ambush always interested me. Most of the time when people from other villages travel to ours, it's because they need to tell us something life impacting and can't trust the mailing system to get the point across.

"Yeah. And since he was from the sound village he traveled a long way. He probably didn't have the strength to fight.". Kiba reasoned with a wondrous gaze similar to my own.

"Well...here we are. Got put on a mask will you?"

I nodded sullenly and walked over to the sink that was located at the far right side of the room. The walls were a blinding white, and the floor looked like I was walking on a mirror.

I watched Kiba pull off his jacket and go to a closet to pull out a laboratory coat, it's color matching the pigment of the walls. The shirt he was wearing underneath was just a flimsy net shirt, the holes clearly showing off his toned abs.

'What a freak' I thought in a grouchy mood, refusing to stare at the muscle that looked so well defined, unlike my own. I decided to quickly change the subject that wasn't being spoken, by picking up the box that held the masks.

"So why do I have to wear one of these masks again?". I chose a light blue surgical mask and raised it with my index finger and gave it a once over.

Kiba smiled and shrugged as he walked over to take it from me.

"It's a precautionary...y'know, so you don't spread germs by breathing on everything.". Kiba put the mask on, which caused me to frown, seeing as it was supposed to be mine.

Nevertheless I got out a fresh one and placed it over my mouth and nose, already wincing at the foul papery smell.

The other walked over to a wooden cabinet and opened the hinged doors.

"Over here is where we keep blood samples. Its weird cause not everybody's blood turns out red..."

I walked over, interested on what he meant by that, and learned that there wasn't any double meaning. I bent down slightly and observed a tiny vial containing a marigold colored substance.

"That's sorta cool..." I breathed.

Kiba shrugged once more and continued to walk over to the next open cabinet.

"Here is where we do acid testing. We do it when a patient's about to die."

I tore myself away from the yellow blood and met up with Kiba again, sporting a confused face.

"That sounds painful". I evaluated as I looked at the rectangular pieces of paper lining the shelves. There were holes in some of them, while others had multicolored substance staining in the middle.

"Well, we get their consent before we do it, so it's not anything bad". Kiba assured me, not answering my comment about the pain of it.

"But anyway- we're not really supposed to be in here." the brunette then admitted. "I just wanted to show you this before we go". He walked over to the other side of the room and opened a door that I didn't know was there before.

"People are getting sick...y'know. Sicker than usual".

I pondered that for a minute before walking into the room after him. It was deathly cold in the chamber, colder than the rest of the building, and maybe even colder than it was outside.

I opened my mouth to say something but then noticed that I was still wearing that stupid mask.

Kiba continued to talk after he saw that I obediently followed in after him, making sure to not give me an opportunity to interrupt him.

"The surgeons are talking...they say it's going to get colder. They say the world might succumb to its third ice age."

What he said didn't faze me, as I somewhat already knew that.

"Its not impossible Kiba.". I stated as I placed my hands underneath my upper arms, letting the mask rest underneath my chin. "Baa-Chan predicts that too. But that's why your families' trying make medicine right? To stop the cold?". I could see my frosty breath fizz out of my mouth as the words tumbled out.

"Naruto-" Kiba said with hint of impatience. His voice was a bit muffled.

"We can't just _stop_ the world from getting colder. We could make medicine to help those who get a disease from the temperature, but other than that, there's nothing much we can do. Dude, you're my friend and that's why I'm telling this to you-"

I had cut him short before he could finish, with my own wave of impatience. "But Kibbles, I already know that. Everybody knows that, even the people who don't want to believe still know it. None of use really know what's gonna take place, but we'll be ready when whatever happens, happens."

The brunette shut his mouth and gave me a hard look. He turned his back on me then in a somewhat angry manner, stomped his way over to a lone cabinet at the very end of the frigid room.

No light seemed to penetrate this area which made the whole entire thing rather creepy.

"Kiba?". I muttered reproachfully. I hadn't meant to hurt his feelings.

"Come here" he then said, signaling to me with a hand.

'What now?' I thought in a pouty mood. I trudged over and looked over his shoulder at the now open cabinet, peering at the three glass vials that stood upright in the chamber unit.

"I didn't need to tell you the world is just going to get colder. I know by know your smart enough to figure that out by yourself. What I needed to tell you was that this serum we're working on now, is an antidote for the people who will die in the future. One vial, for one life."

"...Don't you think your family's taking this cold temperature a little too far? I mean, its still winter and why are you so caught up on preserving other people's lives? People die everyday defending their village." I still didn't understand what Kiba was trying to tell me, which said for my slow thinking process.

"You still don't get it?" He said in an irritated manner.

"No"

"One vial for one life. People are going to die-"

"-What's new? Like I said… People die everyday"

"-I mean, _more_ people are going to die. They're going to die by the hundreds at the same time- maybe even the thousands."

"Again-you're talking crazy. It's still winter, it'll get warmer when summer comes around."

"Listen to me Uzumaki-It's not going to get warmer- "

"-And what makes you say that?". I was getting impatient with Kiba, it wasn't like him to be so conspiratory with apocalyptic stuff.

"I-I don't know...". He let tanned fingers roam through his hair as he sighed in exasperation.

"-Okay, I don't know-not everything. All I know for sure is that the weather is seriously messed up. Something's not right, I can sense it. It's a sign Naruto, I can feel it in here." He put a hand on his chest, still not looking at me properly.

"Kiba, you're no animal. You don't have _senses_ like how they do, you can't tell when something bad's gonna happen...just trust me. Everything's going to turn out all right. People talk about doomsday all the time, and you never see it happen. Your family's just paranoid, and they're rubbing it off on you. Let it go."

I placed a hand on his shoulder, giving an apologetic smile as I squeezed reassuringly.

"Everything's going to be okay. I promise." And I knew that once I had made a promise, you might as well back off and believe me.

Kiba smiled, or at least he tried to, and he gave one last look at the vial sitting on the shelf before shrugging my shoulder off.

"I'm no animal…but I still know something's going to happen. I can feel it."

"-Kiba…" I groaned.

"Naruto-…I can feel it"

'_Whatever'_  
_

I said goodbye to Kiba at the front door and made believe that I parted ways after he disappeared. I still had a job to do, and having a quick tour around the building, I knew I took too much time out of my already tight schedule.

I placed the fox mask on that was stuffed into my back pocket and took out a tiny metal container from the pouch I was wearing. D-79 was a sleeping gas my sensei had given to me before he left on his mission about a month ago.

Everybody says he's just stalling the enemy, but I know that he's gone now.

Before he went on the mission he trained me one last time, teaching me how to control my chi, or my inner energy.

That guy was always a nutcase, saying one day the energy of the earth would finally bring peace to the world. Now that I think of it, he was always sort of the laid-back kind of guy.

I could feel warmth build up onto my face and I knew I had to hurry up with the plan before I broke out into a sweat and just ripped it off. Too bad my mask didn't have any air holes, because it was horrifyingly thick. I took out a flimsy black shirt from the pouch and threw that on as well, the clothing expertly hiding my previous white shirt that I was wearing from earlier.

If anybody recognized me, my goal would be over before it even had the chance to start. That would be bad, seeing as I had an important task to do.

I held the D-79 tube tightly in a fist and re-entered the I.M.B, where, to my satisfaction, was somewhat empty.

'The second and third floor are the floors that most people are on'

I crept in, nowhere near as casually as how I did with Kiba, and tried to shimmy along the walls. I knew I looked pathetic, but I would gladly be safe and looking stupid, than being caught and looking cool.

Nobody was there to catch me, and the cameras weren't fixed yet, so I knew I wasn't under anybody's eye.

'You have to make this quick.'

Knowing there was no possible way for me to be speedy about this procedure, I continued to walk stealthily, this time opting out to take the stairs instead of the elevators, like how I did so many times before with company.

'Watch out for the stairs-people could be climbing down'

I opened the door that lead to the stairs and instantly smashed the light switches that hovered right next to it. The lights flickered momentarily than fused out. I heard no calls of surprise, and I knew that no person was on the stairs to begin with.

Anyhow, I made my way up, my eyes already trained on the outline made from the darkness.

'Grab the prints, and then go.'

In no time at all, I was standing at the top of the staircase, my body standing in front of the second floor door.

'Make this quick. Just grab the prints. That's all you need to do.'

I placed the D-79 onto the concrete floor and took out the heavy rubber mask that was buried within my pouch. It was a dark green gas mask, one that I had for a long time. The black looking circular lens glistened up at me in a menacing way as if taunting me to let my eyes see through them.

'You'll look even more like a monster if you use me' was what it seemed to say.

'A monster. A murderer.'

I pushed those thoughts back and placed the mask over my head and securely onto my face, the pressure now almost nearly smothering me with heat. There were holes on the fox mask for my eyes, and then they were soon covered with the dark lens of the gas mask. If I had the chance to look in the mirror, I knew I would have looked insane.

The black shirt clung to my chest and the pouch was at my hip, now at a considerably lighter weight than before.

'You don't need the bag anymore, its useless, just hide it for now and get it later.'

I took off the bag and placed it into a corner, the shadows expertly hiding it from sight.

I patted the ground for a quick second to find the D-79 and when my fingers closed around it, hesitation weaved through my head.

"This could go wrong, and I could get caught". I mumbled under my breath.

'You won't.'

I bit the inside of my mouth slightly, and opened the door to let the small tube fall from my hand and roll onto the floor.

An acknowledged tone of surprise stopped the beating of my heart. Someone had spotted it before it could emit the gas.

'_Shit.'_

At the moment the male voice ended, a tiny rupture sounded from the weapon and I quickly closed the door, placing my back against it.

From behind the mask, my muffled ears could detect the sound of collapsing bodies. After a few minutes, I deemed the coast clear, and reopened the door, observing the light green gas that now filled every crevice of the room.

'_Step one. Nearly done.'_

"This isn't good…somebody could have called for help," I muttered breathlessly.

I knew I would have to work extremely quickly, now knowing the fact that I interrupted the communication flow from within the hospital.

I knew I had one vial of D-79 left- that was for the third floor but I decided to wait on using it.

'Search the area first.'

I swiped a big set of keys from the unconscious lady at the reception desk, and preceded to unlock her desk drawers and file cabinets, all to no avail.

'It's not here…It has to be on the fourth floor'

"Why the fourth?"

'-Because that's where the Inuzuka clan keeps their most important specimens and research findings.'

"Good point"

'You don't have much time'

"…I know."

I threw the stack of yellow papers that I was previously reading to the floor and headed for the stairs again.

They were pitch black due to my contact with the lights, but I didn't have too much of a difficult time traveling upwards.

My left hand held the railing as a precaution, and my feet continued to bring my body forward until I lurched to a sickening stop.

As my eyes darted from left to right a bead of sweat dotted along my brow.

"-Something's happening"

_-._-. _-._-._-. _-._-._-._-._-._

N/A: I am so, so, so, SO sorry for missing last week's update! Time slipped through my fingers and disappeared at my feet T.T . To make up for the days, I pushed myself to make n extra long chapter just for you guys! I would love love loooove some reviews as well~ An important notice also: I have created a Poll that is currently posted onto my profile. The poll is relevant to 'Ink Of Honor' and YOUR vote determines the course of where I choose to take my story! (Only has a small effect on the story actually ._. ) More polls will be created as later chapters get posted, so tune in regularly!

-Ink.


	4. Being on Time

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Naruto. All credit goes to the author and illustrator Masashi Kishimoto, nor do I forge any of his work for monetary value. _**Warning: excessive language, blood and gore, and mentioning of character deaths.**

_-. _-. _-._-._-._Ink Of Honor-._ _-._-._-._-._-._

_-._-. _-._-._-. _-._-._-._-._-._

Chapter 4

Darkness blurred my vision as I rushed up the stairs and away from the person who was quickly gaining on me. Judging by the sounds of his shoes making contact with the ground, I could tell he was an average size guy and wearing the light uniform that belonged to the anbu.

A.N.B.U was a government organization that was slowly dying off. They were established when my parents, parents, were kids. Probably even before that.

Anbu members were top secret back then and were considered the 'real deal'. Now, in the modern world, the group got replaced with the government law force known as the Akatsuki.

Akatsuki members were trouble. I haven't heard of one person that hadn't gone bad who wasn't in it. Kiba had told me that people who were already in trouble with the law, signed up with them so they could get let off.

"_Where's the fucking light switch?"_

"_Leave it Hidan- we don't need any light."_

"_Well, why the fuck not?"_

"_-Ssh…I don't think we're alone."_

My already silent breathing hitched slightly and I knew I wouldn't be able to open the door in fear that the second floor's light would attract their unwanted attention.

**Way to go and screw things up.**

"Shut up" I mutter to myself but then automatically slap a hand over my mouth.

"…_Hehe, someone's actually here."_

"_Your hearing's getting better Kiba"_

**Kiba, eh? I wonder what's he doing talking to an ex-anbu member.**

"Ex? …I thought Hidan still was…" I mutter to myself in the softest of all whispers.

**Took you look enough to figure it out.**

"_Can ya sniff him out kid?"_

"_I'm not a dog."_

**Well, I suggest you better get going.**

No fucking kidding, I swear mentally.

That bag that I had thrown to a corner was still there even though I couldn't see it. I inched towards it, praying to God that I didn't decide to make any bodily noises.

"_Well, he's being too quiet. It's hard to know where he's at."_

"_-And who was the one who said 'We don't need any light'?" _

"…_Just go find the light switch." _

I grabbed my bag and fumbled around in the moments they decided to talk, hoping their words would drone out any sounds of movement. When they stopped to listen, I would stop as well.

I could make out the outline of Kiba's body. His brown spiked hair mainly gave himself away, but I couldn't really recognize the other person with him.

**It's Hidan you little shit.**

"I know that!" Sheesh, even if I didn't have a mother, it was like I had a mental one in my head 24/7.

"He just looks different is all…"

"_I can't find the light switch!"_

"_How hard can finding it be?"_

"_Well I don't see you trying to do anything about it!"_

"_I'll do it! Get outta the way."_

I managed to grip a smoke bomb in my hand and it sucked cause I knew it was my only one. With excellent timing, the small pellet smacked the ground at the same time Hidan gave a raspy exclamation of, "Hey! You broke the light switch man!"

Wasting no time, I bolted out the door as I noticed the white smoke getting heavier and heavier within the staircase room. Coincidentally I found a large beam at my feet and propped it up against the knob to prevent them from escaping the way I had.

Banging could be heard on the door, and fruitless attempts of turning the knob was seen as I slowly backed away.

Bodies were strewn around the room, and it took me a minute to understand and remember what had taken place earlier.

"…hm" I sniff in a sheepish manner.

**How heartless can you get?**

I chose to ignore that as I leapt over the unconscious people. I ran up to the third floor's elevator and pressed the up arrow repeatedly. On the ground, a thin layer of purple gas remained and I was glad that I still had my mask on, even though my face felt terribly congested.

When the doors opened a small, dark skinned woman reading the newspaper came into my view and I almost didn't walk in. Almost.

I stepped into the tiny space as quickly and quietly as I could as to not rouse her rapt attention, but even that didn't work as she peered up to look at me like how any normal person in an elevator would.

And I was sorry for doing what I was going to do.

Once her brown eyes caught sight of my covered face, I grabbed both her arms and drove her stomach into my propped up knee. I may have done it too hard since she spurt out blood as soon as I made contact, but I figured she'd live through it.

I covered her shriveled up body with her newspaper and got out of the elevator as it 'dinged' my arrival.

**Whatever happened to not hurting women?**

Again, I ignored that as I shimmied once more along the pristine white walls of the IMB. There were only three floors that made up the entire building, not including the large space that everyone called the 'Fourth Floor'. The space was so private, the people who made it had a hard time going in and out of it.

I was curious to what was in it, but I knew I needed to save the curiosity for another day.

Soon, after mindless twisting and turning among the confusing hallways, I came up to a door that had the number 483 on it.

"This the door?"

**Is it?**

I made a face and looked at the keyhole that occupied the middle space of the knob. From observation I could tell that none of the other doors had one, so I assumed that this one was guarding an 'Inuzuka Only' type of room.

"Where's the key? It's locked"

**You don't need a key, just break the door down.**

"… But I don't like breaking doors."

**Oh yeah, I forgot. You only like breaking down women.**

I wanted to punch the hell out of that micro chip, but I knew I'd only be hurting myself. Literally.

"I meant…I didn't want the noise to cause any attention."

**Sure.**

"Really, I was actually thinking that."

**Sure.**

"Argh." I screw up my face in annoyance. I look around, trying to locate an object that's usable for pick locking, and I soon opt out for a large paper clip on the front desk. There are several of them there, so I take them all.

**You're wasting time.**

"I know what I'm doing," I mutter and immediately crouch down to stick the end of a paperclip in the gap. I bend it to get the other end into the space, and find myself reaching for another.

**Two males coming in from the east; they're looking for you.**

Shit. I think in panic. "How much time do I have?"

**Two minutes.**

_ ...Oh dear lord just zap me now and erase my existence =.=; My Internet had busted for the duration of time my grand parents were visiting my family. My dad refused to fix the modem until they left, feeling as if, if he fixed it, then my grand dad would just mess it up again. This chapter has to be one of my worst pieces of writing, and I apologize...sincerely...T_T. I also realize my promise of uploading every Friday and/or Saturday was not kept, so my sincere apologies towards the people who have awaited and towards Collosus who had written me a comment about the matter. To make up for my poor attendance and lack of quality and quantity, I will grit my teeth and put my all into Chapter four. If you have any concerns, comments, critique, or even simple chatter, I beg of you to leave a comment or PM me, and I thank you for your understanding! 0 w 0;; 


	5. Closer

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Naruto. All credit goes to the author and illustrator Masashi Kishimoto, nor do I forge any of his work for monetary value. _**Warning: some language.**

_-. _-. _-._-._-._Ink Of Honor-._ _-._-._-._-._-._

_ y_ _ Me_ _ _._

_-._-. _-._-._-. _-._-._-._-._-._

Chapter 5

**Kid. I'm losing you.**

These paperclips were cheap and brittle, maybe due to age or never being used, I couldn't tell. One after the other would snap, and I was down to the last two when a firm hand latched onto my shoulder.

Whipping around, I aimed for his throat, but my fist was caught first.

"Relax. It's me."

I fumble for the latch that would unhook the gasmask I was wearing, and breathed hard when it was finally off. I could feel the thin layer of sweat on my face reacting to the cool air of the hospital, and my bangs being plastered to my forehead.

"…Sasuke?" I breathe out as I let my hand relax from the tight ball it was clenched as. "What- Why are you here?"

"Yeah. Kurama's Internet crashed and the entire system is down. Nobody can get through to HQ."

"…Why should I care?"

Sasuke crouched down to match my height and he held out a slip of paper.

"What is this?"

"It's your next mission."

I opened the folded paper and scanned it briefly, disgust clearly showing on my face. "Who the hell assigned me this?" I ask with a slight growl.

"The Hokage."

I guess Sasuke saw the confusion on my face because he then smirked at me, no doubt opening his mouth to insult me like usual when my transmitter sparked back to life.

**Out. Get ou- now.**

I could feel my eyes widening and I grabbed Sasuke's wrist, standing up quickly and looking around wildly.

"Did you get a message from Kurama?" Sasuke asked, reacting to my sudden movements.

"Yeah. Earlier, an Anbu member with Kiba was talking on the stairs. I had to get away so I caused a distraction and barricaded the doors. Kurama had told me I only had two minutes before they would find me."

I said this all in a rush as I looked out into the hall to make sure the coast was clear.

"Did you at least get the blueprints?" he asked me with the same tone of urgency.

"Yes! Well…no… I mean…they're in there." I patted the door that I was trying to picklock with the back of my hand and tried to ignore the pathetic look Sasuke was giving me.

"You should've just broken the door down, dobe." He said in an exasperated manner, in a manner that always gets me ticked.

"Look, I didn't want to make noise and risk getting caught." I defended myself as I guided the two of us towards another door that was mercifully unlocked.

"Getting caught by whom? You've knocked everybody out."

Typical smartass behavior.

"No, not everybody. Just from the Anbu member. They could've sounded the alarm and alerted Baa-chan, then this mission would be an entire failure."

"It looks like it's already going to be one. You have no subtlety at all." He countered, no doubt talking about all the people I had to cut down just to get to where I was now.

"Shut up, you would have done the same thing."

"No- I wouldn't, because I wouldn't have accepted this mission to begin with. What were you thinking? Stealing from a hospital in your own village? "

He made me feel somewhat guilty, but I glared at him with defiance.

"The first time I was assigned this mission, I failed, but was lucky enough to escape without getting caught. This time I'm being given another chance, and I won't blow it, not for anyone; not for anything."

Sasuke looked as if he wanted to say something else to me, but disregarded it.

"Whatever. Just get the blueprints and get out. Kurama won't be able to help you anymore either until the modem for the Internet reboots itself. "

Then, without warning he leapt out an open window before I could say anything else.

I sighed, feeling my muscles contract. I was so tired, and yet I knew I wouldn't be able to go home until I finished what I came here for.

I didn't want to deal with the art of pick locking anymore so I took Sasuke and Kurama's double advice to just lay it easy on me and smash a hole through the piece of wood.

The sound was sickening and much too loud, but I gathered up my courage, screwed up my face in anticipation, and charged my way through. Adrenaline coursed through my veins like usual, as it always does when I'm in the heat of action.

No doubt the sound of breaking mass would have alerted my pursuers, and my two minutes were long gone.

Once I was in the room, a foul smell greeted me and I debated whether putting on my gasmask again. The stench nearly persuaded me to go ahead and do it, but I knew I wouldn't be able to see properly, and right now, I needed to be quick.

I set the heavy mask on a silver table and ignored the other surgery tables that had a white cloth over it. Maybe because I know what might just be under them.

There's cupboards and desks, drawers on the desks, things on the desks, things hanging off the cupboards, and so much more if I were to explain things like that. It doesn't seem too neat if it was to be an office, but I find myself not caring.

Now that Kurama couldn't help me with where and when my followers were going to show up and notice my presence, I couldn't take all day to search for those blueprints.

The prints that I was searching for were incomplete in a sense. The Inuzuka clan had teamed up with Shigani from the Rain Village and worked on this liquid medicine for about three years before subjecting the substance in nearby animals.

They started off with tiny ones like rabbits and snakes, but then started hunting down deer and wild boar. Three years of dying animals.

Yes, the medicine was more like liquid death, and yet they still worked with it. Tampering with this and then experimenting, playing with that and testing it again.

It was all a failure, always has been, and yet the village's government funded the cause continuously after each one.

Now, we don't have all that many animals running around like how we used to.

I'm shuffling through papers on the desk when something small and solid drops down onto the floor. I look to see what it is and find that it's a small key hanging from a chain of what appears to be neon green twist ties. Of course, I pick it up and run it through my fingers.

"This could come in handy," I mutter as I pocket it and resume my raiding.

Obviously a key meant that something, somewhere was locked, and if something was locked, that whatever that lock was keeping contained was important.

Perhaps highly classified information. Perhaps the information on L.D, or liquid death, as people back at headquarters referred to it.

I'm still thinking about what that tiny key might unlock when my hand brushes against something on the desk. It's a manila folder stuffed with documents and such. There are a lot of words and numbers and symbols, and my mind doesn't want me to comprehend what any of it means, but I know somehow that it's important.

It's too bulky to stuff into my waist pouch, but it's too valuable to leave behind either. I opt out by just placing it in-between my arm and my side, keeping it in place by pressing on it slightly.

"Two things I have to worry about now." I grumble under my breath, feeling as if I'm somewhat closer to finding the blueprints, but at the same time, not close to it at all.

**Ki-.**

I pause my search as the receiver hooked up to my ear starts buzzing again.

_Kurama is probably trying to talk to me again. _I think as I jiggle the tiny nob located in the back of the transmitter.

**Kij-. Oud. **_**Bweazzzzzrp. Out-out-out-out.**_

For a minute I thought that I had broken the cheap little thing, but before I could react to the sharp noise that suddenly erupted from the speaker, to rip it out and clutch my eardrum from the painfully vibrating sensation, the lights flickered, and then went off.

And then there I was in the dark, trying hard not to scream, and trying not to double over and create noise that would no doubt give away my position. The only thing I managed to do was to crouch down and clutch at my head.

Annoying ringing reverberated everywhere and I pressed my eyes closed so hard, that I could see tiny white stars and squiggly lines dancing through my field of vision.

"_What happened to the fucking lights?" _came a voice from behind me.

The steps that belonged to him came closer.

They were slow, but they were coming.

I couldn't see him, but I could hear him. Sense him.

And I knew it wouldn't be long before he reached me.

**A.N: Hello. :D**

**I tried changing a little bit of my writing style, but now that I read over it again…nothing much has changed. /Sob.**

**I tried really hard for you guys, but it seems I'm still a long ways away before becoming a good author T.T**

**I hope you liked Chapter. 5, though, and Chapter six is under reconstruction. I'll try to have it up by tomorrow or on Sunday. **

**Also, make sure to visit my profile and vote in the Character Pairing Poll! Remember that if you take just one minute out of your time to submit your opinion, it could change the story entirely! If there is a pairing you don't see, but would like to vote on, send me a quick PM and I'll add it right away~ Until then!**

**-Ink**


	6. The Awakening of a New World

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Naruto. All credit goes to the author and illustrator Masashi Kishimoto, nor do I forge any of his work for monetary value. _**Warning: some language.**

_-. _-. _-._-._-._Ink Of Honor-._ _-._-._-._-._-._

_ y_ _ Me_ _ _..._

_-._-. _-._-._-. _-._-._-._-._-._

Chapter 6

At that moment, I remember my earlier conversation with Kiba. He had looked so concerned...so worried. As if he could have actually sensed that something bad was approaching Konoha in the midst. As if something was threatening the village...and maybe even the world.

The painful ringing that echoed off the transmitter stops along with the five-second headache.

Those voices that had seemed like they were coming closer then disappeared.

"Na..."

That voice again...it sounds like somebody familiar. But who?

"Nar...o"

But now that I think about it, it sorta sounds like me. Is it me?

"Naruto! -Hey! Wake up-"

A hard slap to the face woke me up and I bolted awake. Wildly, I looked around and met the gaze of a girl whose face was too close.

"Huh?" I groaned out.

"Heeeeey! Hey! Naruto's awake! Guys!" The brunette backed off and waved franticly in front of my face.

"Stop-". I heard myself grunt as I gently grabbed her hand and pushed it away from me.

"Look who's finally up..."

I peered to my left and noticed that the comment came from a guy who was reading a shogi magazine. His short black hair was pulled up in a tight ponytail while a bored grimace was set upon his lips.

"Hey Shikamaru..." My voice came out in a soft rasp and I then noticed it as a slight burn emanated from within my throat.

"Ooh! We were so worried about you! Lee was so torn- he's forcing himself to run five miles for every hour you stay unconscious. ...I guess somebody should go tell him before he ruptures something."

I found myself laughing at my friend's antics. "Sounds just like him..."

"TenTen, why don't you go check on Lee? Tell him the good news." Shikamaru suggested as I saw him place his magazine on the counter beside him.

The brunette known as TenTen nodded and before leaving placed a hand on my head and leaned forward. "…Do you remember anything?" She asked softly into my ear.

I was confused by what she meant. "...Remember what?" I found myself whispering back, now noticing the scowl that was forming on Shikamaru's approaching face.

"TenTen." It came out as a firm growl and I peered into the male brunette's wavering eyes. TenTen reluctantly stepped away from me with a slight smile and a hand to cover over her quivering mouth.

"Get better, okay Naruto?" With her words hanging from behind her, she exited out the room with a soft whimper. I stared in her wake and watched as the door slammed with unnecessary force.

The sound was all too familiar and I winced as if in pain.

"Naruto?" Shikamaru walked up to me and placed his hands on the railing of my bedside. "...You have a headache?"

"...No." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't altogether true. There was something pulling at me from the back of my mind. It didn't hurt, but at the same time, it felt like this invisible barrier was threatening to tear.

"Naruto...". Shikamaru sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He let go of the railing, but his eyes never left my face. I could feel it even when I wasn't looking at him.

"How did I get here?" I then found myself asking quietly. "Did I get caught?"

"...Caught by who?"

"The Akatsuki member. Hidan. And-...and Kiba."

"Naruto, I keep telling you this...over and over and _over_ again. When are you going to start paying attention Uzumaki? Kiba's not real."

The words were harsh but his voice seemed to betrayed him.

"-And when are you going to start paying attention to -me-?" I shot back with the same level of volume and a little bit more hurt. "Kiba -is- real. If you would just stop yelling at me and listen for once-"

I knew that Shikamaru had never even started yelling, but I was annoyed at how he kept saying that Kiba wasn't real. Did he think of me as a sort of fool? Before I could yell some more of my own, he started arguing with me again.

"-Don't you understand that I'm trying to help you? I don't exactly know what goes on in your head...what battles you're fighting...but I tell you, you're in the real world now. Our real friends are -dead- in this world. You don't want to believe it and neither do I, but it's the painful truth."

I hadn't noticed it but Shikamaru was shaking; his hands grasping my bed sheets tightly.

'_What's going on? …Why are you so delusional?'_

"-It is the only truth."

==========

"Ever since Stunade has disappeared, the nations of our world have been clashing more often then necessary."

"Agreed. Her absence has left behind a path of destruction. Does nobody here know anything of her whereabouts?"

"If news were to surface upon the destination of our Lady Hokage, no doubt we would share the information Sir Chozua. Peace."

A dark haired woman intervened. "But what about the Silver Lining? What has become of him?"

"Don't be foolish Lady Mueny. Traitors of...'his' kind, have perished far more then three years ago."

"-And you say that -I- am the foolish one Sir Chozua?" Lady Mueny lit a cigarette and watched as the smoke danced from the burning tip.

"There are ways that in which he may once more return. Only the incompetents would believe that he has been defeated and I assure you sir, that _I_...am no _fool_"

"Pardon me, my leaders. But-"

The four persons who were situated at a round table, looked towards the door to see the young man who had interrupted their meeting.

"T-The boy. He has awakened."

==========

I strained to keep my temper under control, and to refrain from chucking my empty flower vase towards the door. The words that Shikamaru left behind had broken me, confused me, and most of all, hurt me.

I didn't understand what he meant by our friends being dead in 'this' world, let alone what 'this' world was supposed to mean.

He had said that I was once again in the real world. But then where was I before this?

I didn't have time to think about anything else though, because the door to my room burst open. I thought it was going to be Shikamaru again, but four adults came rushing in instead.

"Wh-...Who are you?"

A burly man wearing a dark red robe walked up to me and held my hand in a firm grasp. "My...My dear boy. You have finally returned to us."

"Calm, Sir Portrer. Let the boy recollect himself first.". A woman wearing identical clothing placed a slender hand on Sir Portrer's shoulder and guided the individual to his feet.

"Uzumaki, Naruto...Welcome back.". The same woman then said in a dignified voice.

"Yeah... okay. Thanks". I said in an uncomfortable manner. "Again... who are you? And what do you mean, 'Welcome Back'?"

"Bless the poor soul...he knows nothing!". Portrer buried himself in his large hands, his face becoming evidently red.

"Mueny, Loss. I truly am...-". The lady bowed to me and I once again shifted uncomfortably. "Pleased to be in your awakened presence."

"I, young lad, am Portrer Nevail. You may feel free to call me Sir Pete if you wish." The large man showed his face once more, the redness slowly fading.

"Haus, Chozua." Introduced a tall and gaunt looking individual. He had mossy black hair that stuck to his hollow face, and dark eyes that appeared to sink into its sockets.

"..."

I listened to three of the four adults introduce themselves but was confused when the fourth and slightly shorter one of the group said nothing.

"So...what's your name?" I asked uncertainly.

"-Do not waste your time with this one. He is a mute and will respond to nobody. Young Naruto, how old are you now?"

I turned to Portrer and nodded in understanding. "I-... I'm 14...Sir Pit."

The burly man stopped short when he heard the name and then burst out laughing. "Sir Pit, Huh? Why! What endeavor in such a young one!" His laughs echoed in the room and I saw Chozua sigh in exasperation to the other's antics.

"Why, this boy right here is 16. By far, he is the youngest out of us all and from those before him. He truly is a legend...a miracle I might add!". Sir Pit gave another hearty chuckle again and patted the hooded boy's shoulder good-naturedly.

As I examined the boy a bit closer I noticed that there was nothing really to observe. His dark red robe was embroidered with black lace at the hem of his hood and if I hadn't squinted to get a better look, I may have not noticed it was there at all. The piece of clothing hid the clothes he was wearing inside, and the hood draped loosely over his face, the shadows hiding it from view.

"I do believe we should skip the introduction and get on with the main reason for our being here." Chozua spoke up as Portrer was distracted with the mute person.

"Uzumaki, Naruto. You have just awakened from your two-week coma. In the time that you were unconscious, Lady Stunade has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. The Silver Lining has escaped from prison, your mother and father have been...taken, your partner has slipped into an illusionary disease, and you, yourself has suffered from damage taken to the brain. Do you happen to remember anything? Anything at all?"

'_Well, ain't that a stupid question.'_

Mueny placed a hand on Chozua's shoulder and forcibly pulled him back with a stern gaze before looking at me.

I didn't understand nearly half of the things he just said, and now, I was confused more then ever. "Wait...I've...I've been in a coma? A _coma_?" I touched my face tentatively and felt my fingers burn slightly at the touch.

Mueny just nodded slowly and with her eyes, urged me to continue.

"...Baa-Chan is …gone. The Silver-Whatever has escaped from prison...-". I didn't even know who the Silver Lining was.

"My parents...but they were already dead-". The three adults took a sharp intake of breath but didn't interrupt me as I did my analysis of the situation.

"...Uh, this 'partner' of mine. They're sick with something, and I've hurt my brain. That's all I got from what you told me."

"-And that is all you need to know. For now." Mueny nodded her hear in approval and once again gave Chozua a stern and reprimanding look.

"Ah, yes...I do apologize for laying all of this on your shoulders so suddenly. Believe that I only want you to know this for your own safety. In time you will understand it all, but for now, concentrate at your task at hand.". Chozua bowed slightly.

"...And what is this 'task'?". I asked.

"Why...your task is to remember who you are." Mueny said gently, in an incredulous voice that sounded as if she was surprised I didn't know it from the beginning.

"Don't you feel strange, boy? Don't you have any questions?" Portrer asked, taking caution in the choice of his words.

"Strange? Not really. Questions? I have just about a million. I still don't know who you are, _what _are you? Do you know Baa-Chan? Why were you here as soon as I woke up? How do you know about me? My parents have been dead for as long as I can remember so what are you talking about them being 'taken'? Who _is_ my partner and what's this illusion disease they have? Is that supposed to be some sort of genjutsu thing going on? Who's Silver Minus-Linus-Or whatever and why should I care that he's escaped prison? And if he's got some sort of vendetta against me, then what did I even do to piss the guy off since you claim that I've been out cold for two weeks, and who-"

"Stop! Stop! My dear boy! Calm yourself, young one!" Portrer laughed again and patted my head in a rough but friendly manner. "In time, all the answers that you will need will present itself. But only of you ask the right questions and seek the right path."

"We must leave you now, Naruto. Now that you have awakened, and we have spoken, we must return to the Land of Time and take up our positions once more. You took quite your time in recovering and now our work back home has piled up immensely. We bid you farewell, and good luck." Chozua spoke in his high and mighty voice and turned for the door.

"Brethren? Lady Mueny?" He called over his shoulder to see if they were to follow.

"As much as I hate to admit when Sir Chozua's right...he's right." Portrer winked at me and followed in the other man's wake. "Good luck to you in finding the answers"

"The same for me. Time itself is on nobody's side, but with a little dedication and perspiration, it very well may guide you to your destiny. But then again, your destiny is inevitable." The lady known as Mueny lowered her head as a sign of respect and then the three adults were gone through the door. The fourth person didn't leave though; it was almost as if the others forgot about him.

"H-Hey...aren't you going to leave?". I asked, trying not to be rude about the situation, but wanting to know why he hadn't left as quickly as he had come.

The other guy shook his head slowly and approached me. Holding out a hand, I caught my first glimpse of him as a person. His skin was a slight ivory and incredibly smooth looking. His fingers were long and thin, not bony, but were similar to Mueny's. His pinky nail was painted a black color that sported a small ring, and his middle finger whose nail was painted a scarlet color.

He then moved his hand higher and that was when I noticed the chain dangling from between his fingers. It was silver in color and as I trailed to the end of it, I saw a gold ring with a black gem in the middle. It was pretty, but was an incredibly tiny charm for such a long necklace.

Was the ring meant to be for your pinky?

He held it out closer to me and I peered up at his covered face.

"Wait...You want me to...to hold it?"

The 16 year old didn't move a muscle but I just had to assume that the answer was 'yes'. I hesitatingly reached for it and gained courage to go forth when I noticed he hadn't pulled away in the slightest.

When my fingers closed around the ring, I could have sworn it vibrated. Something, this tiny little voice within my head, told me not to let go of it however, and I didn't. The male himself let go, and the chain fell past my hand and swung for a little before coming to a stop at where my arm bent.

"Thanks.". I said lamely, not really knowing what else to say. The guy just stood there like a statue and I felt uneasy.

"Y'know, you can have it back if you want it-". I held it out to him and was going to open my hand to present the ring when his hand closed around my wrist. I shuddered noticeably but was able to stop myself from pulling away in shock.

His hands were cold. Incredibly cold.

"Whoa, dude. You should get checked- I mean, you're skin is freezing." I winced, looking at his hand that was holding my wrist and then back up at him.

My eyes widened in surprise though and I felt my mouth drop open at that moment. The male had pushed back his hood in the time it took me to let my eyes waver away from him for just a split second.

He looked painfully familiar, and yet I couldn't grasp at who he may have been. "You...I-I _know_ you...". I heard myself breathe out, as my heart rate somewhat sped up.

The skin on his face was just like the skin on his hand, ivory tinted and flawless. His eyes were a deep pool of apathy and his mouth was slightly pink and parted just enough to reveal a set of white teeth.

He was...good looking, and because of that, I scowled and looked away.

"You know, it'd be a hella lot easier to do whatever it is you want me to do with this damn necklace if you'd just talk to me." I grumbled, not noticing how the ring was still firmly planted in the palm of my hand, and how his hand was still firmly latched onto my wrist.

And then...just like that, the Ivory kid disappeared. The window by my bedside had been closed, but now, it slammed open so hard that the glass panes shattered into tiny pieces.

I got up and stuck nearly half of my body out the window but winced as a huge gust of cold wind nearly shoved me over. The blonde pieces of my hair stuck itself into my eyes and I rubbed them violently, feeling the pulse and warmness quicken and rush towards my eyelids. My eyes itself then throbbed as I pulled my hands away, and as I gazed out into the blissfully humid day.

Feeling something embed itself into my hand, I looked down and opened it to find the ring connected to it's chain.

'I guess...he wanted me to keep it after all'. I thought.

** The day was hot and humid. Sweat formed at the corners of my brow and hadn't taken very long to drip down to the side of my face. I looked around for my friends, but found none; which was odd.**

Sneak Peak at the 7'th Chapter: Blank Reality.

"_He's been in this state for more than three years. We've done all we can to bring him back to us, but our attempts are nearly always fruitless."_

"_What do you mean nearly? Then you've had a little bit of success?"_

"_You could call it that. But he forgets everything that hhe's learned by the end of the day. It's as if he's a record player restarting at the beginning every time we press to listen to it."_

"_Okay…What about now? How's he doing?"_

"_Same. We've had no progress."_

"_This is the same thing that's happened to Sakura Chan. Why can't you do anything about it?"_

"_You must understand that we are trying our hardest. Give us time."_

"_I gave you three years."_

**A/N: HI. Okay. So school been real tough on me lately but I have a bit of good news to all my readers! Summer break just started last Thursday and now I have all the time in the world to start writing and uploading the story on a regular basis! (As promised from the beginning~) Thank you all for reading this horribly confusing story and thank you to all that reviewed~ Do believe that with your words, I get stronger on the inside. Y_Y. And again! To those who bother to read my author's note, please take just one more second to vote in the pairing poll! Remember; **_**lol, please bear with me because I'm going to say it again**_**; if you just take one moment out of your lives to vote for who you want to be paired up within the story, then you may just change the course of it entirely! Pleasssseeee help me out! And also, for those with questions, feel free to PM me them! I love interactive readers, and I may gain valuable information to make this story the best it can be! Until then~**

**-Ink.**


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